Wire bending machine



March 30, 1965 M. D. SPROUL WIRE BENDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 50, 1961 Fill MILTON D. SPROUL ATTOR NEY S FIG. 5

March 30, 19% M. D. SPROUL WIRE BENDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug- 50. 1961 m MP VS u m u. M

ATTORNEYS m w m mm am m m I w Mamh 3@, E965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 50, 1961 INVENTOR. MILTON D. SPROUL ATTORNEYS FIG. 3

United States Patent This invention relates to wire bending machines and more particularly to mechanism for automatically supplying elongate wires or partially formed wire springs from a source to a position between the dies of the wire bending machine.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide a Wire bending machine with mechanism driven in timed relation with the dies for supplying wires or partially formed wire springs to the dies when they have completed one bending operation and are ready to commence another.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the character described which is particularly suited to the high speed production forming of wires or partially completed wire springs on a continuously operated machine designed to produce completed wire springs in large quantities for the automotive seat and back industry, for instance.

A further object of the invention is to provide wire spring handling members which are positionable tohandle springs of diverse configuration with a minimum of set-up time.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which is operative to feed wires or partially formed wire springs one at a time to the dieing position and includes means operative from the feed mechanism for separating individual wires or springs from the supply thereof which is provided to the machine.

A further object of the invention still is to provide a wire bending machine including mechanism of the char acter mentioned which is highly efficient and reliable in operation, and can be economically manufactured and assembled.

Briefly, the invention includes arms swingable from a position behind a support on which a partially formed wire spring or the like is supported to a position to dispose the spring between the dies of the machine in timed relation with the relative movement of the dies. Incorporated with the apparatus is means providing a dwell period for the arms at the end of their supplying stroke to provide stationary support for the product for a suflicient length of time for the dies to move forwardly and remove them from the arms. Also incorporated with the mechanism is means for separating the partially formed wire springs or the like from the supply thereof to permit the arms to supply the springs individually.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partly sectional, fragmentary, side elevational view of a wire bending machine with the wire supplying loader arms in down position supporting a wire which has just been received by certain of the forming dies, the diagrammatic lines indicating the upper position of the wire supplying arms;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, transverse, elevational view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, sectional, fragmentary, side elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating particularly the mechanism for separating individual wires from the supply thereof.

3,175,386 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 7 Referring now more particularly to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, which is depicted in a preferred form in FIGURES 1-3, a letter F generally indicates the frame of a machine, which, for the sake of convenience, will be assumed to be the machine shown in the present assignees co-pending application Serial No. 858,942, filed December 11, 1959, by Messrs. Andrew J. Fisher and Raymond D. Strout. In that application, as in the present application, the frame includes corner post members 10 connected by side members 11 and end members 12. The side members 11 in the present instance may support pairs of rails 14 and 15 (one pair only being shown) which aid in stabilizing the frame. Provided within the rails 14 and 15 are inversely disposed T-slots 16 in which inversely disposed, T-shaped nuts such as at 17 are received to anchor bolt members such as at 18 which secure confronting, transversely spaced groups of die slide housing assemblies such as shown at H in adjusted position.

The housing H support die slide shafts 19 which may be both revolvable and reciprocable, or only reciprocable, and include die members 20 having slots 21 therein defining wire receiving jaws. As in the aforementioned application, the machine includes cam shafts 22, one of which is shown in FIGURE 1, and cams such as at 23 and 24 for controlling rotary and reciprocating movement of the die shafts 19, respectively. While only one group of the confronting die shaft housings H is illustrated it is to be understood that another group is employed as in the aforementioned pending application. The cam 23 operates through a lever 25 pivotally mounted at 26 on a support block 27 to reciprocate the shaft 19 forwardly and rearwardly, or from left to right in FIGURE 1, while the cam follower slide 28 is operated by the cam 24 to revolve the shaft 19 by means of a special rack and pinion arrangement (not shown in the drawings). Lever 25 has a slot 29 receiving a laterally projecting; pin 30 on the rear end of shaft 19, as in the previously filed application, and a return spring 30a.

The die shafts 19 are movable forwardly and rearwardly in the direction of the arrow a to receive a wire spring W which is conveyed to a position between the sets of confronting dies 20, as shown in FIGURE 1. It is to be understood that the machine, including the dies 20 and means for operating them, are operated as in the Fisher and Strout application, which is herewith incorporated by reference for any detailed disclosure of the dies and die operating elements.

Also mounted on the rails 14 and 15 are upper side plate members 31 including flange portions 31a having openings 32 receiving the bolts 18 which are secured by T-nuts 17 and serve to secure the plates 31 in position. At their upper ends the plates 31 are connected by a shaft 32 which can be threaded at its ends to receive nut members 34. The plates 31 journal a lower shaft 35 which is supported by bearings 36 and 37 and mounts work transfer arms 38, the rear ends of arms 38 including portions 38a which are preferably keyed to the shaft 35. The front ends of the arms 38 mount magnet blocks 39 which include Alnico No. 5, permanent magnet strips 39a, fixed in position in any suitable man her.

The arms 38 have an oscillating path of travel from the position shown in diagrammatic lines in FIGURE 1 through an are slightly more than to the position shown in unbroken lines in FIGURE 1 and in their path of travel engage the wire spring W which is in position on magnet blocks 40. The blocks 40 are supported in a manner to be described and may also include upwardly facing Alnico No. 5 permanent magnet strips 441a.

The cam shaft 22 shown drives the arms 38 in timed relation with the movement of die shafts 19 through a telescopic lever and rod assembly generally designated 41 which is pivotally connected as at 42 to an arm 43 having a hub 43a keyed to shaft 22. The telescoping assembly 4-1 includes a lower lever member 44 which is bored as at 45 to slideably recieve the cylindrical lower rod end 46a of an upper member 45. Provided in the lower member 41 is an axially extending slot 47 receiving a pin 48 extending from the rod end 46:: of upper member 46, as shown, to prevent relative rotation of the upper and lower members 46 and 44. The pin 4-8, which is fast on rod end 46a, is free to move axially within slot 47 and a return spring 49 may be provided in the lower end of bore 45 to return the uppper member 46 outwardly. A crank arm 56 pivotally connected to the upper telescoping assembly member 46 as at 51 and keyed to shaft 35 provides an oscillating drive connection for the arms 38.

Fixed on the shaft 35 is an arm member 52 which in one position is prevented from further rotation by a stop screw 53 threaded in a member 53a supported on the one wall 31 and anchored by nut 53:). The arm 52 includes a surface 52a which, when arm or block 52 is swung upwardly to another position with rotation of shaft 35, engages a rod 54 and moves it upwardly to release a wire from a plurality thereof on upper supply rails R in a manner to be described.

Guide rails R which are inclined to the vertical as shown to provide a gravity feed for the wires W supported thereon are mounted on adjustable plate support members 55 (see FIGURE 3) which are supported by shafts 32 and 56, the lower ends of plates 55 being bifurcated as at 55a to receive the shaft 56. The guide rails R may be pivoted to the plates 55 as at 57 and may have dependent portions 58 with slots 58a through which bolts 58!) extend to secure the guides R in the desired vertically inclined position.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the plates 55 have an integral clamp member 59 which is clamped to the shaft 32 by bolts 60 extending through a mating clamping plate 61. The upper edge of the plates 55 are shouldered as at 62 to form wire stop surfaces and their upper front edges are curved as at 63 to provide, with guide members 64 having complementally shaped surfaces 65, wire guideways 65 leading to the magnet wire supports at which, as shown in FIGURE 1, are disposed beneath the guideways 66. The guide members 64 include front ends 64a hooked over and secured to a cross rail 67. Pivotally mounted on members 64 as at 58 are a pair of latches or latch members 69 which in normal position are gravity biased so that their lower surfaces 7% maintain the wires W on the guide rails R. It will be seen that the inclination of the lower surface 7% is such (FIGURE 1) that wires W are able to feed downwardly for the most part with surfaces 7 ti engaging only the front few wires W.

A plate member 71 is also secured to each guide member 64, as with screws 72, the guide members 64 having slots 73 and 74 so that plate 71 may be secured in adjusted position relative to the guide bars R and serve to retain the wires W when the latch members 69 are raised in a manner now to be described.

Mounted on the plates 55 by means of screw members 75 are channel shaped guide plates 76 forming ways 77 to receive vertically slideable selector bars 78, each having their upper ends formed with convergent surfaces 79 and 80, which are movable upwardly to separate the foremost wire spring W from the row of wire springs and raise it above the level of the plates 55 so that it can slide down surfaces 63 to the wire support members 4t The bars 78 are actuated by lever members 81 fixed on the rotatable shaft 56 and are operated in timed relation with the magnet arms 38 and die slides 19. Bars 78 also raise latches 69. Magnet blocks 40 are mounted on supports 54' fixed in transversely adjusted position on shaft 56 by set screws 54".

The mechanism for rotating shaft 56 through an increment of angular movement includes the push rod 54 which is supported for vertical sliding travel by bearing members $52. Mounted on rod 54 are a collar member 54a which limits downward travel of the rod 54 and a collar 542; which supports a return spring 83. The upper end of rod 54 carries a laterally disposed pin 540 which is received by the bifurcated end 84a of an arm member 8 fixed to the shaft 56. When rod 54 is pushed upwardly by the arm 52 on shaft 35, the arm 84 is likewise moved upwardly to rotate shaft 56 and swing arm 81 to raise wire selecting bar '78.

During operation of the machine, the magnet arms 38 move to the raised position in which they are shown in diagrammatic lines in FIGURE 1 as the wire spring W is formed with fishmout h end sections. For a description of the manner in which the dies 20 operate to form fishrnouth sections on the wire spring W, attention is directed to the applicants assignees co-pending application. It will be noted in FIGURE 1 that the cam shaft 22 revolves in a counterclockwise direction and, at the completion of a wire forming operation when the return springs 30a are withdrawing die shafts 19 rearwardly and blocks 39 have moved to the rear of supports 40 (FIGURE 1), the lever member 52 engages push rod 54 and, through the mechanism just described, raises selector rods 78 to a position such that they separate (see FIGURE 3) the foremost wire spring W from the group and raise it to a position such that it can descend under the influence of gravity down trackways 66 to the support blocks 41 Such a position of a Wire spring is indicated by the letter W in FIGURES l and 2. Latches 69 are engagedand raised to permit elevation of the wire spring W. Shortly after this occurs the shaft 35 commences to be revolved in a clockwise direction (FIGURE 1) by the crank arm 50 and arms 38 swing forwardly to bring the magnet blocks 39 into engagement with the wire W supported on wire support blocks 40. The spring steel Wire W magnetically adheres to the blocks 39 and is carried downwardly to the position in which the arms 38 are shown in FIGURE 1. When lever 52 commences to swing clockwisely the return spring 83 functions to lower arm 81 and permit selector bar 78 to descend under the influence of gravity to the lowered position in which it is shown in FIGURE 1.

The arm 52 is also carried clockwisely until stopped by the stop screw 53. At this point the arms 38 have reached their lowermost position and further clockwise movement of the shaft 35, arm 59, and member 46 is impossible, so the remaining upward motion of member 44 is taken up by rod 46a telescoping within the bore 45 of lower member 44. During this dwell or lost motion period the arms 38 remain stationary and the dies 20 are moved forwardly, as described in the co-pending application mentioned, by levers 25 to engage the wire within the wire receiving grooves 21 in the confronting dies 29. As the lever 44 commences to move downwardly, the spring 49 is free to return the shaft 46a and during this period, when dies 20 are completing their forward movement, the arms 38 remain in their lowermost position.

When pin 48 reaches the top of groove 47 the drive is transmitted to the shaft 35 and arms 38 are raised to the uppermost position in which they are shown in diagrammatic lines in FIGURE 1. After they have passed blocks 40, the selector rods 78 are raised to dislodge another wire and raise it so that it can slide down to the support blocks 40. Thus, the various elements operate synchronously, since they are all driven by the same drive member, and in proper sequence to automatically load wire springs to the dies 20. The machine is highly reliable in operation and can be easily adapted to processing wires or springs W of diverse configuration.

It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in the various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a wire bending machine, including confronting wire bending support and forming dies; means for moving at least certain of said dies toward and away from other dies; apparatus for feeding formed wires to the dies comprising wire carrying arm means mounted for movement in a path from a remote position adjacent a wire support member to a position between said dies; and means moving said wire carrying arm means to carry said wires from one position to the other in timed relation to the travel of certain of said dies.

2. In a wire bending machine; spaced apart longitudinally confronting dies for bending said wires including longitudinally reciprocable dies; shaft means for moving said movable dies; a wire support means in generally juxtaposed relation with said dies; at least one wire carrying member movable in a path from said wire support means to said dies; and means driven by said shaft means for moving said wire carrying member in timed relation with said movable dies.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which magnet means is provided on said wire carrying member for gripping a wire and moving it from said Wire support means; and, said movable dies in their movement engage said wire to move it away from said magnet means.

4. The combination defined in claim 2 in which said wire carrying member has a connection with said shaft means to permit said wire carrying member a dwell position to hold said wire substantially stationary while said movable dies move toward it to remove it from said wi're carrying member.

5. In a wire bending machine; frame means; spaced apart dies thereon for bending wires including reciprocable dies; shaft means for moving said movable dies; a wire support magnet in generally juxtaposed relation with said dies; wire slideway means above and leading to said magnet; wire carrying arms pivotally supported by said frame means and swingable in a path from said wire support means to said dies; and crank arm means driven by said shaft means for moving said wire carrying arms in timed relation with said movable dies.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 in which crank arm means has a lost motion connection with said shaft means permitting said arms a period of dwell when they have carried the wire to a position between said dies.

7. In a wire bending machine; means for supporting a row of wires; spaced apart dies for bending wires including movable dies; shaft means for moving said movable dies; wire support members in generally juxtaposed relation with said dies; a selector member for removing one wire from said row; means for guiding said one wire to said wire support members; at least one wire carrying arm movable in a path from said wire support members to said dies; and means driven by said shaft means for moving said wire carrying arm and selector member in timed relation with said movable dies.

8. In a wire spring bending machine; frame means; transversely spaced apart, confronting groups of horizontally disposed dies; drive means for moving said dies forwardly and rearwardly to and from a wire gripping position, including a cam shaft; means on said frame means supporting a row of elongate springs above but offset from said dies when the dies are in gripping position; support blocks on said frame means, including permanent magnet upper surface, beneath said means supporting the row; means on the frame means forming a wire stop surface and a downwardly'extending guideway to said blocks, and having an upper end above said wire stop surface; a vertically reciprocable selector bar with an end formed by convergent surfaces positioned beneath said stop surface and movable upwardly to displace a single wire from said row and raise it to said guideway so that it can descend to said blocks; a conveying arm shaft journaled by said frame means above said cam shaft; arms having blocks with permanent magnet surface thereon fixed on said latter shaft and swingable in a path from behind said blocks down to said die gripping position, and returning; a telescoping rod assembly and crank arm pivotally connecting said camshaft and conveying arm shaft, the assembly including yieldabie means normally urging said assembly to extended position; an actuating member fixed on said conveying arm shaft; a stop positioned in the path of said member to halt movement thereof and cause telescoping of said assembly when the arms have swung down to dispose a wire between the confronting dies and thereby provide a dwell period for said arms; a push rod supported by said frame means for vertical movement directly above said member; and another shaft journaled by said frame means opposite said selector bar; an arm on said latter shaft being in vertical engagement with the push rod and another arm thereon being under said selector bar so that, when the push rod is raised by the member on the conveying arm shaft, the said another shaft is rotated and the selector bar is raised.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 in which the wire support means for the row comprises transversely spaced, vertically inclined rails; and at least one latch is pivotally mounted above said rails to rest, under the influence of gravity, on said wire springs; said latch being above said selector bar so as to be raised thereby when said selector bar moves upwardly to disengage and raise a Wire spring.

10. Mechanism for supplying wires between confronting reciprocable die members of a wire bending machine from a remote source comprising; arm means swingable in an arc from said source to said die members; wire holding means on said arm means; and continuously driven drive means for said arm means moving it through said arc, thence maintaining said arm means at said die members to permit the die members to remove the wire from said arm means during a dwell period, and thence returning said arm means.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 in which said arm means has magnet means thereon.

12. The combination defined in claim 10 in which magnet means is provided to support a wire in the path of travel of said arm means toward said die members.

13. The combination defined in claim 10 in which said drive means includes a crank and a telescopic connecting rod connecting said crank with shaft means for reciprocating the die members.

14. The combination defined in claim 10 in which selector means is provided for separating individual wires from a supply thereof and supplying them for said arm means; and means driving said selector means from said drive means in timed relation thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,242 10/38 Lundeen. 2,570,660 10/51 Gamble 214-1 2,969,892 1/ 61 Sherman 2l4-1 3,025,978 3/62 Hill 2141 3,028,886 4/62 Drukker.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Examiner, 

1. IN A WIRE BENDING MACHINE, INCLUDING CONFRONTING WIRE BENDING SUPPORT AND FORMING DIES; MEANS FOR MOVING AT LEAST CERTAIN OF SAID DIES TOWARD AND AWAY FROM OTHER DIES; APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FORMED WIRES TO THE DIES COMPRISING WIRE CARRYING ARM MEANS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A PATH FROM A REMOTE POSITION ADJACENT A WIRE SUPPORT MEMBER TO A POSITION BETWEEN SAID DIES; AND MEANS MOVING SAID WIRE CARRYING ARM MEANS TO CARRY SAID WIRES FROM ONE POSITION TO THE OTHER IN TIMED RELATION TO THE TRAVEL OF CERTAIN OF SAID DIES. 